Mitra Final
He reclaims, “l am Old now, and these same crosses spoil me. ” (T V. Iii. 334-335) Lear can only helplessly hold his daughter in his arms, as he regrets the feeble state that his old age has left him. The death of Cornelia is striking to readers of king Lear. The magnitude of her death in significantly enhanced when you take into account the age of her death. …. Says…. “Unjust and unnatural due to her age. “() King Lear morns her death and wishes that she was alive. Lear is old and his aging is a slow agonizing crawl to death. Learns death is inevitable and he knows this to be true.
This fact angers him and he questions why the life of his daughter be stripped away at such a young age when he is still alive to walk the earth, ‘Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life,” he cries, “And thou no breath at all? ” (V. Iii. 370-371). Lear refuses to acknowledge that death has consumed his daughter’s life. It perplexes him. In the final scene of the second act Learns age has clearly determined how those view him and his ability to rule. Reagan and Cornwall disagree with Learns desire to stay with Reagan and her unwillingness to have so many attendants. Reagan says to Lear ” O sir, you are old.
Nature in you stands on the very verge f confine. You should be ruled and led by some discretion that discerns your state better than you yourself (II, v, 165-9). What can be said about Reggae’s thoughts through this dialogue is that she is speaking of his age and how instead of him being the care taker for his daughters, the roles need to be reversed and that they should actually be taking care of him. It is Inferred that he is “just a poor old man,” (Draper 530) was previously reigned victorious, nut those days are no more. He responds by getting on his knees and pleads that she accept him but she refuses his attempt.
What follows through the ending of the act is dialogue between the two sisters and Lear. They request that Lear relinquish “half his train,” (II, iv, 237) because he does not need to have attendants. As we learned from Lear he is hesitant in doing so because the greater number of attendants the more power he still posses as King. Since he has distributed his land to his daughters he no longer has any real substantial power, and he desperately tries to hold onto what little power that he has left. Draper proclaims, “For in old age, we long to follow our former ways of life [especially] in kings [who] were “desirous of honors” Draper 532).
Even after Lear announces his throne he still wants to retain the allure of ruling his kingdom. He still demands the same respect despite his decline and reduction in rank. Since the time that Lear learned of Generic and Reagan betrayal, his physical and mental state began an immediate decline. In act IV, scene iii, Kent, Learns servant reminds us that Lear is not in his right mind. Kent says of his king that only “sometimes in his better tune remembers. ” (IV, iii, 47) Through these workDSL Kent is referring to Learns insanity which is brought on by his poor judgment of Generic and Reagan because of his old age.
It is later on in this scene that Cornelia gives a insightful description into of her weltered fathers mental and physical health when she claims that he is “as mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud / Crowned with rank fumier and furrow-weeds / With hardbacks, hemlock, nettles, coffeemaker” (IV, iv, 24). This extremely vivid picture that Cornelia paints of Lear is In stark contrast to the description of any Kind that we have heard of. She paints her father as unpredictable and irrational, which is drawn from her words “as mad as the Vexed Sea.
Despite his many attempts, Lear is unable to relinquish power from his two daughters Reagan and Generic. They now have full control over all of his lands, its inhabitants and his servants. Lear realizes that his age ” Lies as the basis if his trouble”(Drawer 255) Lear is dejected as he realizes that he is no longer the King that he once was. Lear is “painfully aware” author McNeil writes of his old age and the treatment he is receiving as a result. With rejection in his heart and his daughters being defiant towards him Lear leaves in agony into the storm and tempest.
